3. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
This consultation document has been commissioned
by the Department for Education and Skills and prepared by
The National Youth Agency. The NYA is grateful to the DfES
for its ongoing support of its work. Any views expressed
are not necessarily those of the DfES or
individuals working within it.
Published by
Eastgate House, 19–23 Humberstone Road, Leicester LE5 3GJ.
Tel: 0116 242 7350. Fax: 0116 242 7444.
E-mail: nya@nya.org.uk Website: www.nya.org.uk
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Contents
Letter from Bishop Roger Sainsbury, Chair of The NYA v
Questions relating to the whole report vi
1 The historical and faith context to the subject 1
2 What is spirituality? 4
3 What is spiritual development? 11
4 What is the role of spirituality and spiritual development
in youth work? 15
Historical continuity 15
National Occupational Standards 16
Young people’s developmental stage 17
The role of youth worker 18
The ‘subversive’/enriching role of spirituality in youth work 19
Preparing young people to be canny about spiritual matters 20
Broad observations on the above threads 20
5 Key areas for the field arising from this debate 21
How to provide opportunities for young people to explore their
spirituality 21
Role of faith communities in developing spirituality 23
What spiritual development means in a secular/statutory setting 24
Spiritual process and learning outcomes 25
Social justice, social action and spirituality 25
6 Conclusions 27
6 Questions relating to the whole report (Response paper) 28
6 Questions emerging from the paper to be addressed in the consultation 30
Appendix 1 Contribution of people with faith to informal education and
youth work 33
Appendix 2 The Golden Rule 35
Appendix 3 Faith / spiritual development theories 36
Appendix 4 Spectrum model 40
Appendix 5 National Occupational Standards 41
Appendix 6 Newton’s developmental stages 42
Appendix 7 FYT’s ways of working with spirituality 43
Bibliography 45
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Letter from Bishop Roger Sainsbury, Chair of The NYA
Dear Colleague
I would like to invite you to be part of a consultation on the subject of
Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Youth Work.
This document is a consultation paper to collect thoughts and ideas from the
youth work field to help form a collective understanding about spirituality and
spiritual development in youth work.
The consultation paper was commissioned by the Department for Education
and Skills from The National Youth Agency. The commissioning of this paper
follows several meetings which included people in the field to extend our
thinking on spirituality and spiritual development in the changing context of
young people’s lives. The paper was drafted by Maxine Green.
Spiritual development is one of the key aims of modern youth work and is part
of the National Occupational Standards. Hence it is important to know what
the concept now represents and how the youth work profession should respond
to this area of work. This paper has been written with a view to capturing the
key areas where spirituality and spiritual development connect and are part of
youth work.
Views are being sought from the field during Spring and Summer 2005 and
feedback from this consultation will inform a paper to be written later in 2005.
The aim of the final paper will be to clarify the present place of spirituality
and spiritual development in youth work and to inform professional reflection,
policy and practice.
Feedback, comments and views are requested in two areas. Firstly, with a view
to the whole document, to check any significant omissions and inaccuracies
and any areas of the subject which need further explanation or clarification.
Questions to prompt responses follow this letter and are included in the
response section at the end of the document. Secondly, on the specific issues
which are raised in the debate. Questions on these issues are distributed
through the text with a proforma for responses at the end of the document.
Yours sincerely
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Questions relating to the whole report
1. To what extent do you find the overall paper convincing? Where are its
strengths and weak points?
2. Are there any serious omissions from the paper, in terms of important
literature or arguments, ideas and positions that are unjustly neglected?
3. Are there any elements in the paper that could be further strengthened?
Do you have additional evidence to support these? Are there significant
nuances, angles or implications which have been neglected?
4. In the light of your reactions to the earlier questions and to the body of the
paper, what further questions need to be asked to stimulate this debate?
5. At this stage, what do you think are the main implications for future
research, and for policy and practice?
6. Have you any suggestions how best to take this debate forward in the field
so that it can best inform policy and practice?
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1. The historical and faith context to the subject
1.1. Youth work from its inception has had a strong focus on values and these
values have often been presented in a spiritual or religious framework. As
Young says:
Youth work is and always has been concerned with the development of young
people’s values. From its beginning, commitments to ‘the improvement of
the spiritual and mental condition of young men’ (YMCA 1844 Statement
of Purpose, in YMCA 1987:4), the development of ‘the whole personality
of individual boys and girls’ (HMSO 1940: para. 2) and the desire for young
people to ‘better equip themselves to live the life of mature, creative
and responsible members of a free society’ (Maud 1951:3), all expressed
aspirations which were centrally concerned not with the activities in which
young people participated but with the values they held and the ‘kind of
people’ they were to become.
Ethical Issues in Youth Work ed S. Banks ‘Youth worker as guide, philosopher
and friend’ K. Young: Routledge 1999
1.2. This was further developed by the McNair committee as Young says:
In 1944 the McNair Committee commented on the need for youth workers to
act as ‘guides, philosophers and friends’ (HMSO 1944: 103) to young people.
The contention here is that youth workers should provide a steer for young
people through the philosophical enquiry into the nature, significance and
interrelationship of their values and beliefs, based on a relationship or true
friendship – wanting for someone what one thinks good for his or her sake
and not for one’s own (Aristotle).
Ethical Issues in Youth Work ed S. Banks ‘Youth worker as guide, philosopher
and friend’ K. Young: Routledge 1999
1.3. Lord Redcliffe-Maud, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, in
1951 defined the aim of youth services as:
To offer individual young people in their leisure time, opportunities of various
kinds, complementary to those at home, formal education and work, to
discover and develop their personal resources of body in mind and spirit and
thus better equip themselves to live the life of mature creative and responsible
members of the Free Society. (HMSO 1951).
This particularly included the spirit as a focus of youth work and this vision
of the work is continued in the Albemarle Report, as Young says:
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In 1960, the Albemarle Report declared that the youth service was responsible
for helping young people develop ‘a sense of fellowship’, ‘the capacity to make
sound judgements’ and ‘mutual respect and tolerance’ (HMSO 1960: 37).
Ethical Issues in Youth Work ed S. Banks ‘Youth worker as guide, philosopher
and friend’. K. Young: Routledge 1999
In 1998 David Blunkett in The Learning Age restated how learning develops
a spiritual side of our lives.
As well as securing our economic future, learning has a wider contribution.
It helps make ours a civilized society, develops a spiritual side of our lives
and promotes active citizenship. Learning enables people to play a full
part in their community. It strengthens the family, the neighbourhood and
consequently the nation.
This developmental, community based value has been central in youth work
development and spiritual development has been a given part of part of this
holistic value driven approach.
By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in a child and man
– body, mind and spirit. Mahatma Gandhi
1.4. Youth work has subsequently developed from this value informed approach.
In the voluntary sector this has built on the work of early faith pioneers.
In the statutory sector the value shaping of early work has continued to
underpin youth work process.
1.5. The spiritual framework of youth work draws heavily on the pioneering
work of early social and educational reformers from faith communities. In
Victorian and pre-Victorian times the spirit of reform drew individuals into
setting up social enterprises for communities, many of these centres were
concerned with young people.
1.6. A selection of examples of early ‘youth workers’ is found in Appendix 1 which
has been copied from the www.infed.org website. Further biographies and
commentaries can be viewed on the site which show that although many
early informal educators in the United Kingdom were Christians, Jews,
Hindus, Muslims and other faiths contributed to the early work.
1.7. These early pioneers were drawing on their faiths and philosophical beliefs
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and often saw the principle aim of the work in terms of spiritual change.
George Williams and the YMCA movement.
They set out with ‘the view of uniting and directing the efforts of Christian young
men for the spiritual welfare of their fellows in the various departments of
commercial life’ (YMCA 1857: front piece). In other words, they began by looking
to the needs of people like themselves – a form of mutual aid. As the Movement
grew, those involved were quick to amend rules and activities in response to the
needs they identified. For example, by 1848 the object of the Association was not
just ‘spiritual’ but also ‘mental’ improvement; and the concern was with young
men in general. From www.infed.org
1.8. Current work being undertaken by faith communities
Youth work in the faith sector has dramatically increased in the last ten to
fifteen years. This has been an increase both in the number of professionally
qualified workers working in this sector, and the professionalisation of the
work. For example, in Christian youth work young people are much more
likely to experience informal education rather than be taught or entertained.
In many Church of England dioceses the number of full time youth workers
exceeds the number of statutory youth workers. Other faiths are also showing
a keen interest in continuing to develop their work with young people. In
addition faith communities work in social action projects which focus on
young people. This builds up to a significant body of work being undertaken
by professional youth workers who have an explicit spiritual context to their
work.
1.9. It is increasingly important as this field is extensive, and possibly expanding,
that there is a professional confidence in how spirituality and faith ‘sit’ within
the wider youth work agenda and practice.
For many years the lack of knowledge in the profession about religious
practices has meant that there has been a reluctance to ‘interfere’. Under
the umbrella of equal opportunities differences were ‘respected’ without
being really explored. In an effort to be inclusive there was a reluctance to
challenge work in a faith context. This is especially true in work within the
Islamic community where the appropriate sensitivity to the minority position
sometimes means that dialogue is limited to safe, non-controversial areas.
For a greater understanding and awareness in our communities it is essential
that concepts such as spirituality, faith and religion are fully open to sensitive
and informed debate.
1.10. Wider context in which work is being done – social cohesion
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The role of faith communities and spirituality is being explored by projects
as a way of building social cohesion. Work done in an interfaith context
can encourage understanding and demonstrate to young people in their
communities that all the great faiths have at their centre something termed
‘the golden rule’. This entreats – in the words of each particular faith –
followers of religions to be respectful of others. See appendix 2 for the golden
rule.
It is pertinent to view social change in terms of values and how these affect
behaviour rather than simply address aggressive or protective actions in the
community. A common language based on respecting the spirit of each other
and in each other would be a powerful tool for reconciliation and positive
community living.
2. What is spirituality?
2.1. There is a real problem in trying to ‘define’ what spirituality is. For some,
there is a natural affinity and the word encourages them to rush towards the
concept with a feeling of ownership. For others the word carries so much
baggage and ill feeling they despise it and want nothing to do with it.
I have a friend who is a nun. She told me once that when she went into a
supermarket wearing her habit people had two reactions. One group would go
towards her and seek her out. The other group would move to a different aisle,
possibly embarrassed. I think spirituality is a lot like this.
2.2. As well as invoking feelings the term itself is a slippery concept. As
spirituality cannot be held, tasted, heard but relates to an interior perspective
it is difficult to keep it still and coherent in order to ascribe qualities to it.
2.3. Additionally, spirituality can be intensely personal and unique so people
invest a lot of energy in what it means to them. It is therefore hard to
have a disinterested debate in the subject and essential when this is being
discussed that people are in a position where there is mutual respect and an
understanding and acceptance that spirituality can mean different things.
2.4. Having said this about spirituality one young woman interviewed had no
understanding at all of the concept and although academically bright found it
hard to relate at all to what this could mean in her own life.
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12. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
2.5. Research by Clapton into ‘The religious experience and faith development of
non-church going young people’ (1993) compared church going young people
with those who did not go to church. The research concluded that spiritual
experiences were by no means limited to church going young people.
A clear picture has emerged showing the spiritual awareness of nonchurch
young people. They are active in making sense of themselves, the world and
the existential questions which they encounter. They are recipients of the most
profound religious experiences, comparable with any reported by the church
attenders. Finally, they make sense of their lives through a faith which is
constructed by centres of value and power, creating an ‘ultimate environment’.
Timothy Clapton ‘The religious experience and faith development of non-church
going young people’, (1993), Research thesis.
2.6. Nigel Pimlott of Frontier Youth Trust has been working with the concept of
spirituality and social cohesion. He writes:
As I have the privilege of travelling up and down the country leading workshops
on this subject, I have taken the opportunity of inviting workshop participants to
come up with their own words and definitions of what is meant by ‘spirituality’
and ‘spiritual development’. These are set out below for consideration as possible
definitions.
Words associated with spirituality:
blend non-material breath
openness beyond ourselves beauty
awareness of others divine diverse
new/different experience human incomplete
exploration fear journey
a void uncertainty God/Jesus
mystical process personal/collect
abstract your God goes with you wholeness
mediums mystery transient
no absolutes the unknown taboo
hope inwardly turned uncontrollable
experience everything conscious
catharsis non-physical/biological spirit
peace reality feeling/emotion
no God ritual enrichment
transcendence communion with God heart
depth connection with beyond a way of relating
community searching for something bonding with something
Continued over page
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new age indefinable mantra
arts quiet time/meditation prayer
connectedness dangerous searching
choices confusing fulfilment
The very essence of the Hindu Philosophy is that man has a spirit, and has a body
and not that man is a body and may have a spirit also. Swami Vivekananda
2.7. Zaehener (1997) suggests that there are four types of spirituality within and
between religions:
Four types of spirituality:
Loving union with a personal God;
A sense of oneness with the Absolute and the world;
A sense of being separate from the world; and
Becoming one with one’s real self.
Zaehener R.C. (1997), The Hutchinson Encyclopaedia of Living Faiths, London:
Hutchinson
2.8. The attempt at defining spirituality is in tune with this research into the
subject. There is a divergent quality to the concept with many people seeing
different end points and goals. One group working on the concept became
quite heated when the researcher tried to ‘pin’ spirituality down and saw the
very act of definition as defeating the endeavour of the word.
2.9. There were consistent images of spirituality which have emerged both
through reading and through meetings with people. These are that
spirituality:
Is about the ‘other’ – either the other in terms of a God or a transcendent
being – or ‘other’ in terms of being different to the more mundane areas of
life.
Is not something separate from life but flows through life almost as a
different but essential dimension.
Is being squeezed out of people’s experience because of the present
cultural expectation of achieving fulfillment through having rather than
being.
Is connected with crises and peak experiences in one’s life.
Is something to do with relationship and connection – both with people
and in community, and with the environment and the world.
Is an internal sense of meaning and story – a deep understanding of ‘who I
am and my place here’.
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Is not necessarily ‘cosy and warm’ but can be awesome and unsettling.
Is about being ‘fully human’ integrating and balancing different aspects of
the self to live to one’s deepest potential.
Is about an inner ‘truth’ and deep self knowledge.
Be obedient to your truth Religious Society of Friends
Then what is the motive which keeps us busy in the Sufi Order, what is our object
in taking this path of initiation? Our object in this is to become human, to find the
way how to become human, how to live a human being’s life to its fullness, how to
live a life of love, harmony and beauty. Inayat Khan
Truth resides in the heart of every man. And it is there that he must seek it, in
order to be guided by it so that, at the least it will appear to him. But we do not
have the right to force others to see the Truth in our way. Mahatma Gandhi
A human being is part of a whole, called by us the ‘Universe,’ a part limited in
time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something
separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This
delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to
affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from
this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature in its beauty. Albert Einstein
about spirituality . . .
(Some people) . . . have suggested that we are talking about an awareness that
there is more to life than meets the eye, an understanding that life is full of
things that inspire awe and wonder, a rationale that incorporates paradoxes,
the unexplained, and mysteries. Yet others have reflected upon the sense that
life is a complex journey weaved by understanding and grappling with the issues
relating to understanding ourselves and others, the environment that we live
in and the un-quantifiable ‘out there’ subjects of god, the non material and the
transcendent. Nigel Pimlott Frontier Youth Trust
2.10. A point raised by many was that spirituality could not be domesticated.
That there is a level of meaning within spirituality that is immense and
confounds restricting the concept into neat compartments. This was seen
as a really positive influence in the world in that spirituality has the
potential of introducing creative possibilities to breathe life into sometimes
sterile order.
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Dualism
Many cultures use a dualist framework to construct their world and to build a
common sense of meaning. Items and words have their opposites and sit with
each other to bring about a balanced world, where the qualities of one of the items
reflects and limits the qualities of the other.
Dark Light Male Female
Sun Moon Hot Cold
Body Spirit High Low
Love Hate Rich Poor
Sick Well Order Chaos
This dualism is central to Chinese cosmology and is seen in the Yin and Yang
symbols – where Yin and Yang symbolise the sun and the moon.
There are two opposing forces active in the universe. Yin exists in Yang and Yang exists
in Yin. This is the changing combination of negative and positive, dark and light, cold
and hot which keeps the world spinning and creates Chi – the life giving force.
Even where a culture has not got a specific mythology or ideology, dualism can
help frame thinking.
It is necessary that this be the aim of our entire life. In all our thoughts and
actions, we must be conscious of the infinite. Rabindranath Tagore
All this talk and turmoil and noise and movement is outside the veil; inside the veil
is silence and calm and peace. Bayezid Bistami
2.11. One could argue that the role of ‘spirituality’ in youth work is to provide
a sense of balance – to give the profession a divergent, exploratory aspect
to balance the more convergent particular outcomes and targets. This is
explored later in the paper.
2.12. In thinking about spirituality many people cited Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
In its original form there were five ‘needs’ that had to be attended to ‘in order’
– with the most basic needs being satisfied first. For example, if a person has
basic biological and physiological needs they will seek to satisfy these before
their need to belong. Maslow described the first four levels as deficiency
motivators and the fifth level as growth motivator. He also said that aims and
drives were focused on the next higher order needs.
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Maslow’s five level Hierarchy of needs model (1954)
1. Biological and Physiological needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex,
sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs – protection from elements, security, order, law, limits,
stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love needs – work group, family, affection, relationships,
etc.
4. Esteem needs – self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status,
dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Cognitive needs – search for knowledge, understanding, meaning etc.
People spoke of the ‘self-actualisation’ need as where spirituality might ‘sit’
and how this is part of the education of the whole person. It is interesting
that in further developments of this model in the 1970s another three
categories have been added, namely:
6. Aesthetic needs – appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.
7. Self-Actualisation needs – realising personal potential, self-fulfilment, seeking
personal growth and peak experiences.
8. Transcendence needs – helping others to achieve self-actualisation.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Tran-
scendence
Self-
Actualisation
Aesthetic Needs
Cognitive Needs
Esteem Needs
Belongingness & Love Needs
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
From http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html
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To reach cosmic understanding, it is necessary to unite our feeling with that
infinite feeling that penetrates everything. In fact, for man, true progress coincides
with the breadth of the base of our feelings. All our poetry, philosophy, science, art
and religion serve to embrace with our understanding the spheres too vast and
high. Rabindranath Tagore
Although Maslow’s model has been the subject of great discussion on how
it can be used in education the overall understanding of meeting basic needs
and working developmentally with young people to reach the highest aims is
very much part of youth work philosophy.
Alan Chapman on his website www.businessballs.com lists self-actualising
characteristics that share many of the words and descriptions from Nigel
Pimlott’s list above.
Maslow’s Self-Actualising characteristics
keen sense of reality – aware of real situations – objective judgment, rather
than subjective;
see problems in terms of challenges and situations requiring solutions, rather
than see problems as personal complaints or excuses;
need for privacy and comfortable being alone;
reliant on own experiences and judgment – independent – not reliant on
culture and environment to form opinions and views;
not susceptible to social pressures – non-conformist;
democratic, fair and non-discriminating – embracing and enjoying all cultures,
races and individual styles;
socially compassionate – possessing humanity;
accepting others as they are and not trying to change people;
comfortable with oneself – despite any unconventional tendencies. A few close
intimate friends rather than many surface relationships;
sense of humour directed at oneself or the human condition, rather than at
the expense of others;
spontaneous and natural – true to oneself, rather than being how others want
� excited and interested in everything, even ordinary things;
creative, inventive and original; and
seek peak experiences that leave a lasting impression.
Man is setting out to satisfy needs that mean more to him than simply
nourishment and clothing. He is embarking on a rediscovery of himself. The
history of man is that his voyage toward the unknown, in the search for the
realisation of his immortal Self, of his soul. Rabindranath Tagore
You yourself are your own obstacle – rise above yourself. Hafiz
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2.13. John Hull in Youth and Policy Autumn 1999 speaks of the quality of the spirit
and argues that the spiritual is not a part to be added and is not a part of the
whole but is a dimension. The spiritual dimension can no more be taken
away than the third dimension can be taken away from an object.
The same is true of the spiritual. When we speak of the spirit of a sporting team,
we refer to some quality of the behaviour and attitudes of the team as a whole,
and the same is true of the ‘spirit of the nation’, ‘the spirit of war’ and so on. In
such expressions we do not refer to a part of the whole, but to some energising
and invigorating quality of the whole. John Hull, Youth and Policy, Autumn 1999
2.14. There is also a key question about how and where spirituality ‘fits’ with the
concept of faith and religion. John Hull in Youth and Policy Autumn 1999
explored the inter-relatedness of the three concepts and concluded that the
concepts of faith and religion are subsumed in the concept of spirituality. He
says:
. . . to the question of faith. Religion and spirituality are not attitudes.
Spirituality . . . is the achievement of humanness, and the religions are the
traditions and techniques for achieving this in relation to the transcendent
Ultimate. Faith, however, has to do with subjectivity. It is the positive human
response to the issues raised by spirituality. John Hull, Youth and Policy, Autumn
1999
2.15. It is has been virtually impossible to come up with an absolute, clean
definition of spirituality which can be used in every circumstance. However, it
is also apparent that ‘spirituality’ can have a place as a very useful shorthand
to refer to this particular dimension which is an essential part of our true
humanity.
3. What is spiritual development?
3.1. There are countless religious sayings and thoughts which point to spiritual
growth and development:
Religion is a realisation, not talk, not doctrines, nor theories, however beautiful all
these may be. Religion is being and becoming, not hearing and acknowledging. It
is not an intellectual assent but the transformation of one’s whole life.
Swami Viveknanda
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When I open my heart I find Truth and Discretion in all things.
Mechtild of Magdeburg
When a man
Battles with his soul,
The life and the soul of the whole world enter
And he is free Rabindranath Tagore
Believe nothing that binds you to the sole authority of your masters or priests.
That which you have tried yourself, which you have experienced, which you have
recognised as true, and which will be beneficial to you and to others; believe that,
and shape your conduct to it. Buddha
3.2. Following on from John Hull’s theory above spiritual development could be
thought of as a process of humanisation.
Since the spiritual is, broadly speaking, concerned with the achievement
of personhood, it may be thought of as synonymous with the process of
humanisation.
. . . becoming human is a process, the result of which is an achievement, and
therefore we may speak of the process of humanisation as being our ontological
vocation (Freire 1972;1985). This process may be called spiritualisation, since
there is no achievement of humanness without a realisation of the human
spirit. John Hull, Youth and Policy, Autumn 1999
3.3. Nigel Pimlott in his work around the country asking people to come up with
ideas about spiritual development got the following responses:
Spiritual Development is about:
a journey of discovery;
a journey/point/process of discovering that there is something more than self;
existing outside of faith;
is it born in all of us?;
a journey towards wholeness;
a deepening understanding of all things not material;
understanding which cannot be explained;
awareness of self, others, environment and God;
the long path;
growth in and application of faith;
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growing into wholeness;
the natural process that results from spiritual awareness;
people growing in faith and belief;
having a growing awareness of self and life and the meaning of life. It’s about
moving towards an integrity of personhood;
if spirituality is the search for meaning and value, then spiritual development
is how those searches and quests develop;
spiritual Development has a link with morality – knowing right and wrong. It
has a link with an awareness of self and others;
spirituality is being ‘human’ it is everlasting and in oneself and in others as
you meet them; or
spirituality is a process of searching within for the truth without.
3.4. Ofsted has also presented an outline definition of spiritual development for
work in schools:
‘Spiritual development relates to that aspect of inner life through which pupils
acquire insights into their personal existence which are of enduring worth. It is
characterised by reflection, the attribution of meaning to experience, valuing a
non-material dimension to life and intimations of an enduring reality. ‘Spiritual’
is not synonymous with ‘religious’; all areas of the curriculum may contribute to
pupils’ spiritual development.’ Ofsted Handbook for the Inspection of Schools
1994
3.5. The same difficulty in trying to find a definition is apparent in the search for
an understanding of spiritual development. Nigel Pimlott of FYT writes:
Spiritual development is not something we can make for others. It is a journey that
each individual has to take. The journey cannot be made easier by taking short
cuts and everyone has their own starting point and their own final destination. It is
a journey that can be shared with others and it involves challenging ourselves and
the young people we work with. It involves new experiences and doesn’t impose
ideas and faith onto others. From Nigel Pimlott FYT
3.6. Some people would also argue that spiritual development is not about
achieving any particular end, rather that it is the process of increased
awareness and understanding that enables a continual sense of becoming.
Many religious teachings use the journey as a metaphor of continuous
personal growth, rather than a description of how to get to a particular
destination. This emphasis on process is very familiar to youth work
method.
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We want to deepen our awareness of that which is deepest in us, which responds
to other people and the world around us, which gives us direction and life. Such
openness and awareness has to be nurtured and encouraged. It is vital for all
spiritual learning that there are opportunities for reflection, sharing, discussion
and response. In a Quaker context this means we try to interpret our inward
experiences in worship, listen together to discern what we must do and put our
beliefs into action together. Children and Young People’s Report, Britain Yearly
Meeting 2004, Religious Society of Friends.
3.7. Spiritual development in some faiths is seen as being through religious
practice and is expressed in religious terms. This means that some people are
not used to expressing spirituality as a free standing concept as it is so closely
linked into the religious framework. In limited conversations with Muslims
this seemed to be a perception which was held.
3.8. Different cultures and faiths have key concepts which relate to spirituality,
particularly in the youth work context. Chandu Christian writing in Youth
and Policy Autumn 1999 writes:
Youth work has yet to absorb and use the multi-faith or multicultural concepts that
are now available to it. For example, the concepts of Guru-Shishya as relationship,
Islam as submission, the Tao as the way, Zen as a method of self-actualisation
without complicated rituals, the Shabad (Word) as a revelation – these and many
other concepts are now part of our multi-cultural legacy. Youth work can apply
them for both personal and spiritual development of young people as well as to
create a tolerant and understanding society. Chandu Christian – Spirituality in
the context to multi-cultural youth work in Youth and Policy, Autumn 1999
3.9. There are some theologians who have produced theories of faith
development. Most notable in the Christian tradition are Fowler and
Westerhof – see appendix 3 for further information. The Quakers have used
these theories and combined them with the work of John Lee, a former
Diocesan Youth Officer for the Church of England, to come up with a matrix
for spiritual development. See appendix 3 for further information. The
ecumenical training resource for youth workers, Spectrum, has also developed
a spiritual quest model, see appendix 4.
3.10. The idea of spiritual development is one which is linked to the idea of
‘becoming’ and can be viewed either as a free standing concept or as a concept
that is deeply embedded and integrated within a religious framework.
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If spirituality is a dimension of experience as is argued above, then spiritual
development has the potential of occurring from all experience. Obviously
some experiences will be more fruitful than others in enabling a young person
to deepen their understanding and awareness.
As in other development models learning is enhanced when the young person
‘notices’ or registers the experience. This indicates two ways in which the
youth worker can aid the spiritual development process. The first is by giving
opportunities and experiences which are spiritually rich, the second is to
facilitate the young person’s reflection on their spiritual learning.
1. Can we define Spirituality and Spiritual Development?
2. If yes, what are the definitions? If no, can we get working understandings to
forward the debate?
4. What is the role of spirituality and spiritual
development in youth work?
The purpose of youth work is to ensure that young people have a good death.
Good youth work process gives young people tools to reach their full potential so that
when they die, in old age, they can look back on a life of achievement and feel deep
contentment. Maxine Green
In this section several key threads which contribute to the debate are explored. In
the conclusion there are some broad observations relating to these key threads.
We need to restore the place of spirituality in the public as well as the private world,
relating it to truth as well as to personal experience. It should be understood as the
essential source of character development for a society based on sacrificial love.
Youth A Part, 1996, Church House Publishing p31
4.1. Historical continuity
In many of the significant times when youth work has been called to
describe itself the value based nature of the profession has been reiterated.
The values of equality, empowerment, education and participation emerge
from a philosophy of the profession which is about the whole nature of the
young person. Even where reports have not been explicit about this there is
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an implicit understanding that youth work is holistic. It is not just about
increasing skills, changing behaviour or imparting knowledge, it is about
development of the whole of the young person. In the early shaping of the
profession this was spelled out as the development of body, mind and spirit.
At different times in the history of youth work one or another element was in
the ascendancy. For example, some early youth work was very much focused
on the spirit. Later with the rise of outdoor education as a youth work tool
the development of the body was seen to be the key. In the last five or ten
years the emphasis has moved to accrediting specific skills and in some cases
the wider aims of youth work and informal education have been taken over
by the need to achieve particular targets.
The youth work profession is able to put a strong case forward about how
achievements are stronger and more sustained if they are gained from
an integrated whole person approach. However, where funding streams
encourage this targeted work it becomes even more important that the
holistic approach is upheld.
As spirituality and spiritual development is part of the whole youth work
offer, maintaining an understanding of how and where this occurs in youth
work is one way of ensuring the holistic approach continues.
4.2. National Occupational Standards
Spiritual development is part of National Occupational Standards. It could be
argued that many of the standards which are looking at overall growth and
development of young people include an element relating to spirituality. The
key purpose of youth work in the National Occupational Standards gives an
indication of the whole person approach.
The key purpose of youth work is to work with young people to facilitate
their personal, social, and educational development, and enable them to gain
a voice, influence and place in society in a period of their transition from
dependence to independence.
While spiritual development is not mentioned specifically in the Key Purpose
it is an integral part of personal and social development. As the overall
purpose is divided into sections the role of spirituality can be traced within
the standards. For example Section A states; ‘Build relationships with young
people which enable them to explore and make sense of their experiences and
plan and take action’. For young people who have a spiritual life this would
necessarily be part of their exploration, their experience and would feature in
how they make future plans. Some would argue that this spiritual aspect is
also there for young people without a particular spiritual framework and that
it features as a spiritual dimension to their lives and experience even if it is
not named and specifically acknowledged.
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The National Occupational Standards have a unit with a particular focus
on spirituality. Section B is to ‘Facilitate young people’s learning and their
personal and social development’. Unit B.2.2. has the specific focus to:
Assist young people in the exploration and development of their spiritual
self:
This is about encouraging young people to see themselves in a wider setting
of relationships with others and with the environment around them. It is about
enabling young people to have a sense of and value their life journey.
See Appendix 5 for details of the unit.
The unit describes knowledge, behaviour and values which constitute an
approach to spirituality and spiritual development. It describes how young
people should be encouraged to understand and know their own spiritual
framework, how they can recognise and respect others’ religion, faith and
spirituality and how they can use an awareness of their spiritual selves ‘to
explore their feelings at times of great joy or pain in their lives’.
The inclusion of a unit which focuses on the ‘spiritual self ’ is to be
welcomed, both for professionals working in a faith setting and for those
working in a secular context.
This unit provides a challenge for the profession in how this standard
can be met. The youth worker working in a faith context is challenged to
give a broad approach, whilst the youth worker working in a secular post
is challenged to find ways of exploring this dimension of young people’s
experience.
That soul which does not attain to the degree of purity corresponding with the
light and vocation it has received from God can never be wholly content and at
peace. St John of the Cross
4.3. Young people’s developmental stage
Young people are at a stage where they are integrating different aspects of
themselves. It is a stage where they endeavour to make sense of the world
and construct their personal philosophy and sense of meaning. This is a time
when many young people wrestle with existential questions and try and make
sense of their own place in the world and their purpose in being alive. Trudi
Newton has integrated Pam Levin’s theory of ‘Cycles of development’ with
Jean Ilsley- Clarke’s theory to produce a developmental model (see Appendix
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6). The model has six developmental stages with the sixth stage from 13 to
18 years being the ‘integration’ stage.
Stage Tasks of young person Needs, strokes Stages in Change
Integration Separate Understand Application and
13 to 18-years Be independent Encourage Integration
Be responsible Accept
Have own needs Support
Have own values Discuss
Integrate sexuality Celebrate
Newton indicates firstly, the tasks of the young person from each stage and
secondly, what they need from others to complete these tasks successfully to
enable development and growth. She says that in the integration stage the
young person will call upon the ways they have developed in the past and
integrate them as they build up their new identity. For example, the teenager
will withdraw, explore, try new ways of doing things. They will learn at this
time to apply new skills appropriately and understand the context of what
they do.
This integration task is one where the young person revisits and reshapes
the skills acquired in their earlier years into a framework for themselves
which is connected to the community framework they find themselves
in. By understanding themselves they are then able to separate, become
independent, responsible and start to shape their adult identity. Their
spirituality is a key component in this integration, both for young people with
a faith or without a faith. John Hull’s idea of ‘humanisation’ couldn’t be more
appropriate a concept for this stage.
The youth worker role is also made explicit using this model – that is to
understand, encourage, accept, support, discuss and celebrate with the young
person.
4.4. The role of youth worker
The time of adolescence is particularly turbulent for a young person. Who am
I? becomes a particularly demanding question. In their struggle for an answer
the youth worker or animateur has a particular role to play. Formal education
may enable a young person to be more in harmony with the external world (to
wit Bowen and Bloom), and as a consequence with their own individual self.
Youth work enables a young person to be more in harmony with his or her own
self and as a consequence with the rest of the world. Both formal and informal
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education thus have a part to play in enabling young people to find their ‘real’
selves. Chandu Christian – Spirituality in the context of multi-cultural youth work
in Youth and Policy, Autumn 1999
Christian in his article about spirituality in the context of multi-cultural
youth work looks at the complementary role of formal and informal
education. With formal education helping the young person become more in
harmony with the external world and informal education helping the young
person to be in harmony with his or her self. The features of this harmony
with self could be broadly summed up in Maslow’s self actualisation
characteristics. As already stated these characteristics correlate closely to
people’s perceptions of spirituality and spiritual development. Youth workers,
therefore have this potentially powerful role in helping young people know
themselves, their ‘real selves’ and develop a sense of meaning and identity
within their lives. See the section which refers to youth work practice in the
field of spiritual development.
4.5. The ‘subversive’/enriching role of spirituality in youth work
In an earlier section dualism was explored and the concept of Yin and Yang.
There has been debate in youth work over the last five to ten years about the
effect of increasing targeting of the work. The profession is being encouraged
to look more and more at specific outcomes for young people. A lot of creative
thought has been brought to bear by youth work staff and thinkers about how
the existing ‘products’ of youth work can be recognised and accredited. There
is widespread understanding of the advantages to young people when they can
recognise distance traveled and outcomes achieved. However, another effect of
increasing targeting is that youth work practice can change so that its success
is measured principally in targets achieved. This can have a detrimental
effect on the holistic, relationship based approach which is embedded in
the values of the profession. By having something like ‘spirituality’ in the
curriculum and practice there is a whole area which is much harder to pin
down and constrain. The divergent nature of ‘spiritual development’ means
that outcomes are much wider and individual. The outcomes are nearly all in
the changes of value and meaning for the young person and these are much
harder to quantify than a skill or piece of knowledge which can more easily be
tested or monitored. Spirituality and spiritual development are by their nature
‘free’ subjects, and exploration of these areas potentially puts young people
in touch with profound thinkers and social reformers. Where a lot of work
with young people is geared to education, employment and training spiritual
development is primarily about being a full human being. Spirituality as an
area of the curriculum has the potential of exploring values at a deeper more
profound level which results in the full education of the young person. It
then also can inform the other areas of education as Christian outlined in his
article. Ideally, formal and informal education are complementary, both are
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needed for full and healthy development of the young person. In short, the
inclusion of spirituality and spiritual development in the youth work agenda
enriches the profession and the offer to young people.
4.6. Preparing young people to be canny about spiritual matters
The quest for continually more satisfying and exciting experiences can lead to a
disengagement from reality and can further alienate young people from those
churches that do not provide constant positive experiences.
Nigel Pimlott, Frontier Youth Trust, page 10
There is a concern in some areas (especially those who are concerned about
recruitment into new religious movements) about the vulnerability of young
people to spiritual argument and persuasion. Young people who have not
had any structured contact with their own spirituality may have a range
of experiences which are incoherently yet powerfully held. At a time when
young people want to break away and become independent there is a great
temptation in adopting a religious or spiritual framework in which their
own experiences may find a home. If on the other hand young people have
been encouraged to understand their own spirituality and develop a spiritual
framework they have a language and facility in matters of spirituality and
are potentially more canny and able to question other faith or spiritual
approaches. Some young people will develop this framework within a
religious context, and for these young people the challenge is understanding
how others’ approach religion and spirituality and to recognise, appreciate
and hopefully celebrate difference. For those young people in a secular context
the challenge is to find ways of facilitating the development of their spiritual
framework, understanding others and becoming astute or canny about
spiritual dynamics. This is an integral part of the empowerment aspect of
youth work. It also is key in developing understanding which contributes to
building positive communities and community cohesion and developing an
understanding of equality.
‘When “I” and “You” are absent, I’ve no idea if this is a mosque, synagogue,
church or temple.’ Mahmud Sahbistari
4.7. Broad observations on the above threads
The above threads give points of connection between spirituality and the
youth work profession. There is a historical continuity, spirituality is part
of the standards of the profession, spiritual development is a feature of
adolescent maturation and it ‘fits’ with the holistic approach of the youth
worker. Also it can be seen how spirituality as part of the youth work agenda
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brings a divergent quality to the curriculum and has the potential of ‘lifting’
the work and bringing it alive. Finally, there is a need to spiritually equip
young people so that they can manage the world with discernment and
spiritual skills. The presence of spirituality in the profession could be seen
as the ‘breath’ of the profession, the animation that Christian refers to in his
article that enables the holistic development of young people.
3. Has Spirituality and Spiritual Development a place in the youth work
profession?
4. If yes, what does this mean in terms of policy and practice?
5. What effect does it have in how we go about face to face youth work?
6. What do we have to put in place to integrate and develop this dimension in the
youth work profession, for example, training?
7. How do we discuss, debate and forward these ideas in the widest possible
context, for example, working with faith and religious communities?
5. Key areas for the field to address arising from
this debate
5.1. How to provide opportunities for young people to explore
their spirituality
A youth worker took a group of ten boys, aged 14 and 15, for a walk in
Derbyshire. He knew the country well and planned the route with great care. He
took the view that few young people actually enjoy walking for its own sake and
therefore the journey had to be interspersed with a number of activities and
incidents.
The group was shown the route on a map, and someone was elected to find the
route for the first part of the way. After a mile or two the group went through an
old railway tunnel stopping at the centre point where it was not possible to see
the light from either end. There was a good deal of clowning around in the total
darkness. A little later the group stopped by a dew point and the response to the
question ‘How long do we stay here was ‘five minutes or until the first one falls in’.
Nobody did . . .
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After lunch the youth worker took a geological hammer from his rucksack and
chipped away at some pieces of rock . Asked what he was doing he responded,
‘go away, I’m busy’. Within ten minutes everyone was hunting for fossils and
talking about them . . . The afternoon stop was taken by a stream and the youth
worker encouraged the group to take off their boots and socks and paddle.
No one had done this in a mountain stream before. The final stage of the walk
included a sunset and a view – and the route had been chosen with this in
mind. Education Observed 6: ‘Effective Youth Work’ (HMI, 1987)
In the example above, which now sounds a bit dated, the youth worker
is using a series of pre-planned activities to enable the young people to
experience different things. The activities are paced, are different and
‘touch’ different parts of the young men’s experience. Being in total dark,
experiencing the cold of a mountain stream, pondering on the age of rocks
and fossilised creatures and viewing a sunset all have the potential to evoke
awe and wonder. All offer the chance of understanding the self in relation to
different parts of the world. If these young people had been taken ‘out’ of a
city environment the changes and learning could have been immense.
The open ended divergent offer of the experience described above is one
where a sense of meaning and understanding on self can take place. Many
people when asked about spiritual experiences talk of wonder and awe and
many have found this through nature.
Similarly, social justice issues have presented questions and queries in young
people’s minds which have had to be processed – what is happening here and
what is my role or relationship with it?
Nigel Pimlott speaks of how spirituality and spiritual development are part
of the work of the Frontier Youth Trust. There is more information about
spiritual work in a secular setting as Appendix 7.
I am also not advocating a necessarily complex approach. We can do some very
simple things that provide really positive experiences. For example, if we are
talking about ‘the light’ then why not use things like candles in a dark setting to
illustrate the point in a hands on way. If we are talking about ‘sowing seeds’, then
why not sow some and watch them grow. If we are talking about ‘serving’ then
why not visit an old people’s home and engage in some conversation and games. I
know this is really basic to some, but it is easy to forget the need to be experiential
and practical in our approach.
If the experiences can have a sense of mystery about them I consider this all
the better in helping engage young people. Promoting ‘mystery’ means that
the experience will help trigger responses that develop further exploration and
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enquiry. This should ensure that it is not just experiences that we are offering to
young people, but stepping stones to learning and discovery.
Nigel Pimlott, Frontier Youth Trust
A popular misconception about spiritual and faith development is that
it encourages dependency – the following quotes from Indian spirituality
challenge this perception.
It is not a question of belief.
Stop believing in that which is;
This is the first stage. Dare to be rational.
Dare to follow reason where it may take you. Swami Vivekanda
To grow is to go beyond what you are today.
Stand up as yourself. Do not imitate.
Do not pretend to have achieved your goal, and do not try to cut corners.
Just try to grow. Swami Prajnanpad
Never under any circumstances ask “how”.
When you use the word “how” you really want someone to tell you what to do,
some guide, some system, someone to lead you by the hand so that you lose your
freedom, your capacity to observe, your own activities, your own thoughts your
own way of life. Krishamurti
The outward freedom that we shall attain will only be in exact proportion to the
inward freedom to which we may have grown at any given moment.
Mahatma Gandhi
A real challenge for the sector is to understand how we can work with
spirituality in a faith or secular context and to share this learning across the
profession.
5.2. Role of faith communities in developing spirituality
For many religions or faith traditions there is a keen responsibility to provide
teaching, background and context about spiritual practice. This has the
opportunity of giving young people a faith resource which they can use to
frame their own spiritual experience and understanding. It also in some cases
can discourage the young person from coming to their own understanding of
their spiritual self. Some faiths do not view spirituality in an individual way
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– it is seen as an integral part of community life and there is not the option of
an individual rejecting faith as it means the rejection of the community.
There is an interesting juxtaposition of where the community belonging
meets the concept of individual freedom and rights. This paper is not going to
be able to ‘solve’ this interesting and rich dynamic. It is, however, important
that there is an active dialogue in the profession which throws light on the
tensions that can be there for some young people. It is by understanding
these that youth workers can help young people to enjoy belonging and
developing their spirituality with their community, enjoy the benefits of
individual options and choices and come to a positive understanding of what
it best means for them.
5.3. What spiritual development means in a secular/statutory setting
The human soul travels from the law to love,
from discipline to freedom,
from the moral plane to the spiritual plane. Rabindranath Tagore
Many youth workers who are employed in a statutory or secular context can
feel uncomfortable about the notion of spiritual development. The National
Occupational Standard requires workers to understand their spiritual self,
know the difference between spirituality, faith and religion and be able to
facilitate a range of activities to enable young people to relate to the world in
a spiritual way (from NOS Unit B2 Knowledge specification see Appendix 5).
If a youth worker has not had the experience or opportunity to look at this
aspect of themselves it can be a daunting prospect.
The linking of Maslow’s characteristics of self actualisation with the wider
understanding of spirituality gives a range of outcomes for which the broad
youth work process is well equipped. It can be argued that spirituality is
based on broad values which are coherent with those that underpin youth
work method. If the work is based on values such as informal education,
equality of opportunity, empowerment and participation and if the process
of engagement is voluntary and through a relationship there is a coherence
with the respect that is outlined in the ‘Golden Rule’ (see Appendix 2).
This can give a starting point for the dialogue and work regarding spiritual
development.
It is also important that this element of youth work needs to be developed
– by sharing good practice, through basic training and through academic and
policy discussion. One reason why there is an apprehension about exploring
spirituality and developing spiritual frameworks is a lack of basic knowledge.
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There can also be an apprehension around working with different faiths
and workers can be inhibited by their lack of knowledge and not wishing to
offend. A lot of work undertaken recently looking at social cohesion indicates
that communities grow closer when they have an understanding of each
others’ faiths and religious practices. As social cohesion and community
development is part of the broad aim of youth work making spirituality
a more explicit element in the curriculum could bring about positive
consequences for the community.
5.4. Spiritual process and learning outcomes
There is a huge reluctance among some people to think of spiritual outcomes.
Some people think that spirituality is hard enough to define so trying to pin
down spiritual outcomes is a step too far. However, many faiths, especially
in their monastic orders, will have measures of spiritual stages. For example,
in Theravada Buddhism there is a well documented scheme of meditative
development through meditative states which are called Jhanas. For each
Jhana there are clearly formulated descriptions of the phenomena which are
associated with the stage. For example, the third Jhana is associated with the
experience of waves of joy which is called piti. In Christian mysticism people
have also documented stages with accompanying states and phenomena.
For example, Teresa of Avila documents each stage using the metaphor of
an interior castle. These measures of spiritual development are used in the
context of a culture and tradition of spiritual wisdom. The context is also
developed in a framework of non-attachment where there is not the notion of
evolutionary, linear progress and gathering and acquiring skills.
Therefore if we choose to document spiritual development through outcomes
we need to ensure a culture and context of wisdom which is apart from the
progressive, acquiring model of education. As the underlying government
message of education currently is individuals acquiring skills and knowledge
for their personal use in work and to become citizens there is a potential
conflict with the ‘non-progress’ world view which accompanies much spiritual
learning.
Having said all of this the level of spiritual development explored here is
much deeper than most people will choose to follow. But it does highlight the
dilemma of providing defined spiritual outcomes within a current educational
framework of skill and knowledge acquisition. Indeed, it could be argued
that because spirituality does operate in this other world view, or framework,
engaging with spirituality can offer a real and profound opportunity for young
people to experience the world in a different way.
5.5. Social justice, social action and spirituality
The notion of participation in its widest sense is a keystone for youth work.
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Having a voice, challenging discrimination and disadvantage has always
been part of the youth work agenda. For many people social justice emerges
directly from their faith and their spiritual framework. Many faiths have
strong expectations on how to treat others and are strong on inequality
and injustice. If the youth worker encourages young people to reflect on
their spiritual values they can also support them to express them in the
community and support any social action which is based on these values.
Much community cohesion work and reconciliation work encourages young
people to reflect on their religious and other values and check these out
with their actions. The reference earlier in the paper to the ‘Golden Rule’
(Appendix 2) shows that respect and tolerance are found in the teachings of
all faiths.
Some religions have tenets that encourage positive behaviour in the
community and the corporate use of these to develop a corporate spirituality
can help a group of young people to have a good community spirit.
Some denominations have strong expectations about how members should
behave and values they should hold. These may concern charity, work with
disadvantaged people, social justice and active campaigning. For example,
to become a Quaker there is an expectation that you will follow the peace
testimony. There is also a strong tradition of campaigning and non violent
protest.
Satisfy the hunger of others
And your hunger will be appeased
All by itself. His Holiness M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Hear from the heart wordless mysteries!
Understand what cannot be understood!
In man’s stone-dark heart there burns a fire
That burns all veils to their root and foundation.
When the veils are burned away, the heart will understand completely ...
Ancient Love will unfold ever-fresh forms
In the heart of the Spirit, in the core of the heart. Rumi
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6. Conclusions
It is hard to think of how to conclude an exploration into the subject of spirituality
and spiritual development in youth work. This is partly because of the divergent,
holistic nature of the subject which resists categorisation and tidy solutions. It is
also because individual youth workers have developed the spiritual dimension of
their work bringing their own individual spirit to this work and to try and conflate
these into a discipline feels in some way disrespectful. Having said this if the
profession uses these sentiments to ‘back off ’ the subject of spirituality it will be in
real danger of getting lost and being relegated behind other more easily quantifiable
targets and aims.
The conclusions from this paper will come from the consultation but will only
come if there is a willingness to tread this somewhat difficult ground and be robust
in argument and debate. The debate needs to be respectful and mindful of other’s
interests and faith positions but it also needs to be undertaken in a spirit of rigour
and vigour.
8. If we don’t think Spirituality or Spiritual Development is important, or don’t like
the concept, how else do we describe the humanisation dimension of the work
and how can we express the self actualisation process?
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35. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
Questions relating to the whole report
1. To what extent do you find the overall paper convincing? Where are its strengths and weak
points?
2. Are there any serious omissions from the paper, in terms of important literature or
arguments, ideas and positions that are unjustly neglected?
3. Are there any elements in the paper that could be further strengthened? Do you
have additional evidence to support these? Are there significant nuances, angles or
implications which have been neglected?
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36. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
4. In the light of your reactions to the earlier questions and to the body of the paper, what
further questions need to be asked to stimulate this debate?
5. At this stage, what do you think are the main implications for future research, and for
policy and practice?
6. Have you any suggestions as to how best to take this debate forward in the field so that it
can best inform policy and practice?
• Please photocopy, complete and return to The NYA.
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Consultation Paper 29
37. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
Questions emerging from the paper to be addressed in
the consultation
1. Can we define Spirituality and Spiritual Development?
2. If yes, what are the definitions? If no, can we get working understandings to forward the
debate?
3. Has Spirituality and Spiritual Development a place in the Youth Work Profession?
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30 Consultation Paper
38. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
4. If yes, what does this mean in terms of Policy and Practice?
5. What effect does it have in how we go about face to face youth work?
6. What do we have to put in place to integrate and develop this dimension in the youth work
profession, for example, training?
• Please photocopy, complete and return to The NYA.
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Consultation Paper 31
39. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
7. How do we discuss, debate and forward these ideas in the widest possible context, for
example, working with faith and religious communities?
8. If we don’t think Spirituality or Spiritual Development is important, or don’t like the
concept, how else do we describe the humanisation dimension of the work and how can
we express the self actualisation process?
9. What are the other questions that need to be asked emerging from this process?
• Please photocopy, complete and return to The NYA.
These proformas are also available on The NYA website at www.nya.org.uk
32 Consultation Paper
40. SPIRIT UA L I T Y A N D S P I R I T UA L D E V E LO P M E N T I N YO U T H WO R K
Appendix 1 Contribution of people with faith to
informal education and youth work
Lily Montagu (1873–1963), Pioneer of youth work. One of the founders of the National
Organisation of Girls Clubs (now Youth Clubs UK) and a key figure in the development of
Jewish youth work.
Lily Montagu (1873–1963), with Maud Stanley, is one of the key figures in the development
of girls clubs and work with young women. Her contribution was fourfold. First, she was
a committed worker with young people. As a young woman (19) in 1893 she set up the
club with her cousin in two rooms at 71 Dean Street W1 (the club was later to move to 8
Frith Street, then 8 Dean Street). The character of her work can be gauged from her own
comments: ‘A club worker must enter on her career in the learning spirit. She must not
attempt to foist her standards on the girls among whom she intends to work. She must study
their standards, and exchange her point of view with theirs’ (Montagu 1954: 24). She placed
an emphasis on sharing the government of the club with members; and on educational
endeavours. The latter included discussions around various moral questions and citizenship.
There was also a flourishing drama group. Second, Montagu placed a particular emphasis on
campaigning and working for the improvement of young women’s working conditions – and
this she carried into the political arena via organisations such as the Women’s Industrial
Council. Third, she was central to the formation and development of the National Organisation
of Girls Clubs. Last, she has left several important additions to the literature of youth work
– including the account of her work at West Central (Montagu 1904; 1954).
www.infed.org
Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), Asia’s first Nobel Laureate, was born into a prominent
Calcutta family known for its socio-religious and cultural innovations during the 19th Bengal
Renaissance.
I was brought up in an atmosphere of aspiration, aspiration for the expansion of the human
spirit. We in our home sought freedom of power in our language, freedom of imagination
in our literature, freedom of soul in our religious creeds and that of mind in our social
environment. Such an opportunity has given me confidence in the power of education which
is one with life and only which can give us real freedom, the highest that is claimed for man,
his freedom of moral communion in the human world . . . I try to assert in my words and works
that education has its only meaning and object in freedom – freedom from ignorance about
the laws of the universe, and freedom from passion and prejudice in our communication with
the human world. In my institution I have attempted to create an atmosphere of naturalness
in our relationship with strangers, and the spirit of hospitality which is the first virtue in men
that made civilization possible.
I invited thinkers and scholars from foreign lands to let our boys know how easy it is to realise
our common fellowship, when we deal with those who are great, and that it is the puny who
with their petty vanities set up barriers between man and man. (Rabindranath Tagore 1929:
73–74)
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We have come to this world to accept it, not merely to know it. We may become powerful by
knowledge, but we attain fullness by sympathy. The highest education is that which does not
merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence. But we find that
this education of sympathy is not only systematically ignored in schools, but it is severely
repressed. From our very childhood habits are formed and knowledge is imparted in such
a manner that our life is weaned away from nature and our mind and the world are set in
opposition from the beginning of our days. Thus the greatest of educations for which we came
prepared is neglected, and we are made to lose our world to find a bagful of information
instead. We rob the child of his earth to teach him geography, of language to teach him
grammar. His hunger is for the Epic, but he is supplied with chronicles of facts and dates ...
Child-nature protests against such calamity with all its power of suffering, subdued at last into
silence by punishment. (Rabindranath Tagore, Personality, 1917: 116-17) www.infed.org
Hannah More (1745–1833). The significance of Hannah and Martha More’s activities with
regard to Sunday schooling lay in the pedagogy they developed; the range of activities they
became involved in; and the extent to which publicity concerning their activities encouraged
others to develop initiatives. Hannah and Martha More attempted to make school sessions
entertaining and varied. We can see this from the outline of her methods published in Hints
on how to run a Sunday School (and reported in Roberts 1834). Programmes had to be
planned and suited to the level of the students; there needed to be variety; and classes had
to be as entertaining as possible (she advised using singing when energy and attention was
waning). She also argued that it was possible to get the best out of children if their affections
‘were engaged by kindness’. Furthermore, she made the case that terror did not pay (Young
and Ashton 1956: 239). However, she still believed it was a ‘fundamental error to consider
children as innocent beings’ rather than as beings of ‘a corrupt nature and evil dispositions’
(More 1799: 44, quoted by Thompson 1968: 441).
Hannah More could be said to have summed up the prevailing Evangelical attitude when she
wrote: ‘Action is the life of virtue, and the world is the theatre of action’ (More 1808, quoted
by Bebbington 1989: 12).
Other women like Ellen Ranyard and Maude Stanley were to follow in her footsteps – but
just what are we to make of Hannah More’s contribution to the development of different
forms of informal education – especially youth work?
First, it can be argued that she worked with young people – but significantly they were only
one part of the clientele she was concerned with. Hannah More was also interested in the
education of children and adults – and both her writing and her activities in Sunday schooling
reflect this. To this extent, she can be understood as a theorist and practitioner of lifelong
education and learning. Second, she and her sister worked with people on the basis of
choice. While there were all sorts of incentives to children and young people, for example, to
attend Sunday schooling, Hannah More recognised that they could not be compelled to take
part.
Third, relative to the schooling activities of her day, Sunday schools associated with the More
sisters had a more informal air, and used a range of methods. There was more of a concern
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with creating the right atmosphere and relationship for learning. Besides classes there were
other community and welfare interventions plus some concern with social life (and this was to
be a feature of later Sunday school developments). This said, the work that Hannah More was
engaged in was some distance from what we later came to know as youth work. In particular,
hers is an individualistic orientation. There is little recognition here of the significance of
association, group and club – and her understanding of education is very firmly conditioned
by her desire to convert.
George Williams and the YMCA. During June and early July 1844 a series of discussions
took place in rooms above Hitchcock and Roger’s drapers shop in St Paul’s Churchyard.
George Williams, Christopher Smith, Edward Valentine, John Symons, and the eight,
nine or ten other young men involved, discussed setting up what quickly became known as
The Young Men’s Christian Association. (The debate over the number of young men involved
in the original meeting where the Association was formed is reviewed by Binfield 1973: 120–
121. The discussion concerning title can be found in Shedd et al 1955: 23). They set out with
‘the view of uniting and directing the efforts of Christian young men for the spiritual welfare of
their fellows in the various departments of commercial life’ (YMCA 1857: frontpiece). In other
words, they began by looking to the needs of people like themselves – a form of mutual aid.
As the Movement grew, those involved were quick to amend rules and activities in response
to the needs they identified. For example, by 1848 the object of the Association was not just
‘spiritual’ but also ‘mental’ improvement; and the concern was with young men in general.
Appendix 2 The Golden Rule
Baha’I faith
Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for
anyone the things ye would not desire for yourselves. This is my best counsel unto you,
did ye but observe it Bah’u’allah: Gleanings, 128
Buddhism
Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a
boundless love towards all beings. Khuddaka Patha: Metta Sutta
Christianity
Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31
Hinduism
This is the sum of duty; do naught to others if done to thee would cause thee pain.
Mahabharata 5.1517
Islam
No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for
himself. An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith 13
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